Nanoparticles inside nanodishes for plasmon excitations

Abstract

We demonstrate a simple route to hybridize two different nanomaterials by using three-dimensional nanodishes that can serve as small plasmonic containers to host guest nanoparticles. The nanodishes were fabricated using nanoimprint lithography and oblique-angle film deposition, and the guest nanoparticles were drop-cast onto the host nanodishes. Based on the proposed method, colloidal Au nanoparticles were assembled inside the Au nanodishes in the form of a labyrinth. These Au nanoparticle-nanodish hybrids excited a strong surface plasmon resonance, as verified by a numerical simulation of the local field enhancement and by direct observation of both the enhanced Raman signals and photochemical reactions. Our results point to the potential of the nanodishes as a useful platform for combining diverse nanomaterials and their functionalities.